What is Domain Drop Catching?

auDA (the governing body for .au domains) describes it as:

"When a domain name has expired or has been deleted and someone would like to pick up the name when it becomes available for registration, we recommend that a person or organisation employs the services of a domain drop catcher. A drop catching service allows a person to lodge a pre-application for a domain name before it is due to drop, and then uses a special software program to attempt to "catch" the domain name at the registry as soon as it drops.

Without the necessary knowledge or technology it can be quite difficult for the general public to pick up these names. While we don't recommend one over another it is advisable to thoroughly research and decide who offers the best service in this area for yourself. It's important to note that there is usually a fee for using a drop catching service, in addition to the domain name registration fee that you will be charged if the service is successful in catching your domain name. Another feature of many drop catching services is that, if more than one person is interested in a domain name, there will be an online auction and the highest bidder will win the right to be the sole applicant for the domain name through that particular drop catching service. It is important to note that while employing the services of a drop catcher improves your chances of picking up a domain name it does not guarantee it as there could be several domain catchers competing to pick up the same name that is about to be dropped."